Art of the Solution

It’s a welcoming atmosphere at Gallery 137 in Indian Orchard.

The storefront-style windows let in natural light, hardwood floors speak to the quality materials of days gone by, and displays of handmade crafts and original artwork adorn the walls and shelves.

But to its directors and the Springfield arts community, this is more than just a gallery; it’s the start of what many hope will be a larger cultural movement in the city.

Gallery 137 opened at 137 Main St. in September 2006, in what was once Stella’s Restaurant, a popular Indian Orchard eatery for many years. Its focus is on exhibiting contemporary art of all kinds, as well as promoting accompanying educational and community-minded projects.

However, it’s also a project of the Indian Orchard Main Street Partnership (IOMP), a 501(c)3 nonprofit aimed at expanding cultural opportunities in the neighborhood, including through the development of arts-based businesses. The partnership also works to increase visibility of the artists working in the nearby Indian Orchard Mills, drive traffic to the mills’ existing Dane Gallery, and promote the Main Street Art Walk, which runs along the roadway adjacent to Gallery 137.

Brian Hale, a board member of the IOMSP, spearheaded the gallery project. The owner of Design Workshop Inc., a boutique graphic design firm based in the Indian Orchard Mills, Hale said he joined the board when he relocated the business to the neighborhood five years ago. He is also actively involved with the X Main Street Partnership, a similar organization that is now concentrating much of its efforts on the renovation and restoration of the Bing Theatre in another Springfield neighborhood, Forest Park.

“There are many ‘Main Street’ programs around the country, all geared toward revitalizing urban economic areas,” he said. “However, right around the time I joined, the community development block grant funding that had been available was pulled from the city, and the group was suffering.”

Hale said a number of area legislators, including former state Sen. Brian Lees and Reps. Sean Curran, Tom Petrolati, and (now-Sen.) Gale Candaras stepped in to champion the cause, securing a $100,000 earmark for the partnership.

“It paid for renovations to the gallery space, the Web site, promotions, and salaries,” Hale noted, adding that the earmark has remained in place for three years and allowed the group to hire artist Heidi Coutu to serve as its executive director a year ago.

Coutu is a co-founder of Minds Island, one of the first online businesses designed to promote artists’ work. Now, she says she’s focused not as much on hawking individual works, but rather on selling an entire area, through the power of cultural programming.

“With its proximity to the Indian Orchard Mills, the great ‘bones’ of Main Street, and the devoted supporters of the project, I am confident that a real art scene is emerging in Springfield at last,” she said. “Plus, the residents, businesses, and artists of the city will all be the benefactors.”

The IOMP has also drafted a specific set of goals aimed at augmenting that scene, the centerpiece of which is Gallery 137.

“The foundation is set,” said Coutu, “and I’m working to expand each aspect on Main Street.”

Curb Appeal

Hale told BusinessWest that putting more arts-related businesses and activities front and center — i.e., right on the Orchard’s main thoroughfare — is one way to make cultural opportunities more visible to both visitors and residents.

“We’re trying to move the arts scene of Indian Orchard from the mills to Main Street, and to add more creative businesses to the neighborhood,” he said. “In doing that, we’re also tying in educational components, doing some streetscaping, and adding banners that speak to the arts, to get people thinking about it — because that’s half the battle.”

This larger, behind-the-scenes aspect of Gallery 137 alone makes it unique; however, it’s also an intriguing addition to the Indian Orchard neighborhood for other reasons. Hale explained that the gallery does exhibit local artists, and includes a number of local artist members, who are eligible to participate in its annual juried show.

“But we’ve shown the work of many regional artists, and some international artists,” he said. “We try to show everything — crafts and contemporary art in many different mediums — that is accessible to many people.”

The gallery’s current show is titled “A Sense of Place,” and includes a collection of sky, sea, and landscape images by artists Robert Masla, Grant Strange, and Jeff Kern.

In the recent past, shows have included “Uncommon Threads,” an exhibit of contemporary fiber art; an arts-and-crafts boutique exhibit held near the holidays; a selection of work by married artists Rod and Carole Guthrie; and a multimedia show titled “The Female Mystique,” featuring paintings, photography, sculpture, and other works.

Gallery 137 also hosts a “First Fridays” series each month, sponsored in part by the Springfield Cultural Council. These events bring music, spoken word, and other performance arts to the space, thus expanding its cultural impact and welcoming more diverse audiences.

“We have opened 11 exhibitions, which have included local, national, and international artists,” said Coutu, “and we have packed the house with our First Friday live performances.”

Class in Session

Meanwhile, the gallery hosts art classes for children taught by artist and gallery volunteer Merilee Hale, a project that has led to other off-site programming around the city.

“We do outreach in the Springfield schools with art-based programs to help children access art and foster creative thinking,” explained Coutu, noting that other entities, including area businesses, have also taken note of the IOMP’s work and created connections. “We have begun a collaboration with Hampden Bank, which has offered wonderful support to our project, with a rotating exhibition and an art walk that will include their lobby, the gallery, and our new ‘art corner’ in the Indian Orchard Library.”

All of these inroads are leading to the same place, Hale added — to a neighborhood that is more culturally enriched, and therefore more likely to attract positive attention from various sources.

“We’re increasing access to cultural events for the people in the community, but that also brings people into the city,” Hale said. “This is a gateway neighborhood, and a wonderful place to jump-start cultural tourism.”

Changes Afoot

That, after all, is the primary goal for the IOMP and Gallery 137 — to use cultural development as an economic driver.

“It’s a good fit for this area,” he said. “We’re not where, say, Easthampton is yet, but that’s where it’s heading.”

In the future, Hale said he’d love to see a few more galleries, an arts-related business, two or three more restaurants, and perhaps a coffee bar where art aficionados can rest their weary feet.

In the meantime, Gallery 137 is a nice venue from which to watch the changes.

Jaclyn Stevenson can be reached at[email protected]